Men of Steel (Book 1)

by Fields, MJ

  Tessa and Jade went to the pond after field hockey practice to swim. They discussed their upcoming year and were excited for all the possibilities. Alex pulled in with a truck full of team mates, who piled out and jumped in to the refreshing water.

  “Here come the white hat boys Tessa,” Jade said grinning from ear to ear.

  For the past two weeks Tessa and Jade’s field hockey team had practice at the same time as the football players. Tessa and Jade would wait for Alex and Ryan and watch all the freshly showered shirtless hotties walk out of the school. The hottest ones always seemed to be wearing white hats. Tessa and Jade would sit back and take in the view.

  School would be different this year. Due to state and federal budget cuts to the education system a few schools in the surrounding areas were closed at the end of last year. The girls called the students from the other schools that would now be attending their school “implants”.

  Tessa and Jade were laying on the raft in the sun when a bunch of white hats swam out to them. Tessa was uncomfortable in the bathing suit she wore, the attention was unwelcome. She dove in, swam to shore, and quickly grabbed her shirt to cover herself. Jade followed behind but slowly walked out of the water bending back to ring out her long black hair. She smiled at the group of white hats and slowly bent down to grab a towel and wrap the lower part of her body.

  Tessa picked up her shirt and tossed it at her and Jade laughed and put it on.

  “Your naughty Jade,” Tessa said and smirked.

  “Look at them I think naughty would be fun,” Jade said.

  Tessa walked to the truck and jumped in the driver’s side. Jade smiled and waved as they pulled out. Tessa noticed one of them staring and rolled her eyes and kept driving.

  Tessa dropped Jade off. “See you in the morning” she said as she waved goodbye. “Hi Uncle Jack,” Tessa yelled as she pulled out. He waved back. Tessa drove home to the farm.

  ~

  Jade’s alarm sounded. It was the first day of senior year and she had no desire to get out of bed so she hit snooze and rolled over.

  “Time to get up,” Jack heard her father call up the stairs.

  Jade rolled over and groaned, “I’m up Dad.”

  She walked out her door and into the bathroom and looked in the mirror, you better fix that hair she thought, and started the shower.

  Jade turned seventeen in May. She was tall and well developed. Her hair was long and dark brown with blond streaks. Her parents divorced two years ago, and her mother lived an hour away. She lived with her father, a contractor. Their house was small and cozy. She was the youngest of three children including older twin brothers who would have been in there first year of college, but had died five years ago in a horrible accident.

  She walked into the kitchen and her father had made pancakes, he kissed her head and asked, “What else are you wearing Jade?”

  She was dressed in denim shorts that were a little too short for his liking, but perfect for hers. She had on a tank top with a silver flashy design on the front. It clung to her body in all the right places.

  She chewed her pancakes and lifted the white sweater off the back of the chair to show him and grinned. He shook his head and said, “That stays on all day.”

  “If you want a ride you’d better hurry up Jade,” her cousin Alex yelled from the door.

  “Have a great day baby girl,” her dad said as she grabbed her bag and flew out the door.

  He watched as she ran to the truck, she looked like his ex wife more and more every day. He looked at the chair and her sweater hung on the back. He grabbed it and ran to the door, “Hey” he yelled stopping them, “You forgot something,” handing it to her through the window as she rolled her eyes at him.

  They pulled out the driveway as Alex laughed, “He wants you to cover those things up Jade,” she smacked him and sat back. Alex was the same age as her brothers but the year they died he chose to stop doing school work and ended up having to repeat the school year forcing him to graduate with his younger sister Tessa and cousin Jade.

  ~

  The house was quiet; all the kids would be up soon if she wanted a hot shower she’d better hurry it up. Phoebe jumped up and tiptoed to the bathroom.

  Phoebe was seventeen and pretty with her hair cut in a medium length bob, pretty low maintenance. Her parents both died a year ago and she lived with a foster family. Phoebe’s foster family the Brook’s, had ten kids in the large house. Two kids were biologically, four adopted, and the other four fosters like her. She had been placed here over the summer, hoping she would not have to move again for a while. She liked this family way better than the last family she had been placed her. A new school awaited her: a school where no one knew about her ugly past. She was happy for a new start.

  Becca was waiting for the shower when Phoebe walked out. Becca was exceptionally tall and thin, she had long curly hair and big green eyes. She was a classic beauty, her outside matched her inside. Deep down she loved what her parents had done by taking in all these kids but sometimes she wished they had more time for her. She and Phoebe were the same age and she liked her. Phoebe did not walk into the house for the first time with a chip on her shoulder; she was sweet and had a lost look in her eyes. She seemed at home her.

  “You ready for today?” Becca asked her with a smile.

  “I think so,” Phoebe replied, “are you?”

  “Most definitely, there are fewer chores to do now that we are back in school,” she said with a big smile as she walked into the bathroom.

  Becca was seventeen and had spent most of the summer at one camp or another; she hadn’t spent a lot of time at home. The time she did spend was consumed by chores, camp, church, and helping with the kids. Unlike for most kid’s school was a much needed break from the crazy busy summer.

  Tessa was almost eighteen, she was medium height and she developed over the summer, she was not fond of her new body and much preferred the boyish build she carried last year. She had long blonde hair that hung to her waist and big sparkling blue eyes that people often mistook for contact lenses. She was the third in the family of five. She lived on a farm just down the road from Becca’s family.

  “Tessa honey it’s time to come down, breakfast is going to get cold,” Maggie yelled.

  Tessa grabbed her clothes she had sat out the night before. She had picked up a knee length khaki shorts and a light blue baggy tee. She wanted to cover up those stupid and unfamiliar mounds of flesh. She went and showered and was the last to get up, so today Tessa got the cold shower.

  Tessa siblings were, Molly her twenty year old sister, was attending community college, and planned to get her bachelors when she finished. Alex was nineteen and on the football team for the first time this year. Kendall was a 15 year old tomboy, and Jake was 14. Her parents, Maggie and John Ross, had been married for 21 years, high school sweet hearts. Things were not good between them at all. Tessa knew it was only a matter of time as she had overheard many arguments.

  Tessa was dressed and sitting at the table when the Alex pulled in after picking up Jade. She ran out and got in the truck. The stupid smelly school bus as Kendall and Jake called it was here Maggie took pictures and watched as her two youngest got on. How could this have happened?

  Jade started to decorate her locker, she was putting in a mirror when she realized she had the sweater on she stuck her tongue out at herself and took it off and smiled. Tessa’s locker was next to hers as usual, cousins with the same last name.

  “You’re remodeling already” Tessa laughed.

  They stood and watched as Becca and Phoebe walked towards them. They went in search for their lockers. Jade and Tessa waited and they walked towards the auditorium.

  Tessa and Jade were cousins and they had been close since the day they were born. They walked through the hallway together “To bad we missed cheerleading tryouts,” Jade said as they passed by the group of varsity football players she said raising her eyebrows and looked in their direction.<
br />
  “Too bad?” Tessa said loudly, “Thank God! I would not be caught dead cheering on some Neanderthals,” as the same dark haired boy raised his eyebrows and smirked at her again. He was one of the white hat boys, the cutest, but what did he think he was looking at? She blushed and scowled.

  ~

  “Damn,” Luke said, as he ogled Tessa walking by, “Nice eats.”

  “That’s my sister Links,” Alex said giving him a back off look.

  “You may want to watch it. You’re on my team now,” Luke said shutting his locker.

  “I’ve been on theirs for seventeen years,” Alex growled.

  “Ease up Ross, I was just enjoying the scenery,” Luke said smiling at him.

  ~

  Jade and Tessa sat in the auditorium, Becca and Phoebe sat next to them. They compared schedules and found they were all in the honors classes together. Becca and Jade had P.E. and study hall together, and Tessa and Phoebe shared the same P.E. and government class.

  The football team sat in the row in front of them, Jade kicked Tessa and smiled. Tessa rolled her eyes at Jade and looked up and Luke was staring back at her, with a half smile. She turned away; “Tessa,” Jade said “he was checking you out.” Tessa shook her head back and forth looking down.

  Mr. Camp the school Principal took the stage, “Welcome back students. As you know we have merged with some other schools due to state budget cuts. This school belongs to all of us, lets treat each other with respect as we all transition,” he said. He gave the normal first day speech, went over the rules, and told us of upcoming sign ups, games, the pep rally, and the fall festival.

  Jade saw Tommy look back at her and smiled. He was cute, and she could not believe he was looking at her. Tessa saw them exchange glances throughout the assembly and laughed to herself. She also noticed, when she allowed herself to look up Luke staring right through her with a devilish grin.

  The assembly ended and the girls had all decided that they would sign up for chorus; they stood in line to sign up. “Jade, that white hat was checking you out,” Tessa said and laughed.

  “His buddy was checking you out,” she laughed, “They are both yummy,” Jade said grinning.

  They finally got to sign ups and Jade wrote her name on the list, “Jade Ross,” Tommy said and winked at her, “Cool now I have a name to go with that pretty face,” he smiled and walked away.

  Tessa and Jade laughed as Tessa wrote her name and they turned to see Luke staring at her. She rolled her eyes at him and walked away, “Tessa!” Jade scolded her as the bell rang and they went to their first class, English.

  Their teacher Mr. Mandel gave them their list of required reading for the year and an outline of assignments and due dates. Tessa looked over the list and it was mainly Eighteenth Century English literature, and she hoped she would like it.

  Jade and Becca had study hall next, they were allowed to go outside in the quad because no one had any homework yet. Becca and Jade sat under the tree at the far end. Frankie and Mark, juniors came over. “Ladies,” Frankie said “Looking fine this year”

  “Hey Frankie,” Jade said smiling as Becca looked away annoyed.

  “Jade,” Tommy said walking up behind Frankie “Is this boy bothering you?” Jade smiled at him and looked down, holy cow she thought. “Jade you don’t want to play with the little soccer boys now do you?” he asked without waiting for an answer, “Can I get your number Jade, you know to check in with you to see if these boys are bugging you.”

  “I want your girl Tessa’s number,” Luke said his eyes narrowing.

  “Jade can you give those to us please?” Tommy asked smiling.

  “Sure,” she said, “Since you asked so nicely, got a pen?” she asked coolly.

  “I will always ask you nicely,” he said with a wink and took the paper. She blushed and looked down he brushed into Frankie, as he walked away.

  “Douche bag!” Frankie said under his breath.

  “What did you just say?” Luke asked and got in Frankie’s face,

  “I said Douche bag!” Frankie stepped towards him.

  Becca and Jade jumped up and stood between them.

  “Please just walk away,” Jade said to Luke.

  “You owe me Jade for not kicking that punk’s ass,” Luke yelled as he walked by.

  “Na dude, she’s saving yours,” Mark smirked.

  The bell rang as Luke and Tommy walked away. “Call me!” Frankie yelled in his best girl voice holding his hand to his ear mocking Tommy and Luke.

  Becca laughed and they walked in. The boys where harmless, they were friends, they helped on the Ross farm on weekends and over the summer. Neither had good home lives but they seem to be breaking the mold that most of kids in their situation can’t seem to overcome. She had known them forever, not always the most appropriate acting crew but lots of fun.

  Jade got a text-

  -Is this the pretty girl?

  -Who is this?...Jade

  -You’ll soon find out

  Jade laughed out loud, walking towards her locker.

  Tessa took her phone from her pocket and read the message she had just received.

  -Tessa Ross, you are lovely..LL

  Jade walked up to Tessa and saw her reading a message and looking confused. “Did you get a message?” she asked.

  “Ya, weird I have no idea who it is,” she handed the phone to Jade who was laughing.

  “It’s from Luke,” Jade smirked, “He asked for your number” she shrieked.

  “And you gave it to him?” she said angrily.

  “Tommy asked for it, nicely,” she said, “I gave him both of ours,” she laughed.

  “Jade seriously,” Tessa said very annoyed and walked away.

  The bell rang and school was out, the girls all met in the locker room and got ready for field hockey. They asked Phoebe how she liked the new school, she said she loved it, much smaller school than she was used to. They walked outside and passed the football players and cheerleaders.

  “Nice skirt pretty girl” they heard someone yelling at them, followed by a bunch of cat calls and howling. Jade flipped them off and kept walking.

  “Damn Tommy was that your girl?” Luke asked pretending to be shocked.

  “Your breaking my heart pretty girl,” Tommy called after her and dropping to his knees.

  Jade turned around and smiled and shook her head.

  They ran to the state park that bordered the property, including the one hundred plus stairs at least ten times. “This is like basic training ladies,” Coach V yelled at them. “It will show us who is varsity field hockey material and who is not. If it’s not for you don’t bother coming back tomorrow! Half of you will make it through the next two weeks and the others will walk away. It is not for everyone ladies. We are looking for skill and heart. That’s a wrap, see you all tomorrow.” He excused them and they walked back to the school. They showered, dressed, and walked out to the back parking lot to see if Alex was there.

  “You crushed me pretty girl,” Tommy shouted from Luke’s car as Luke pulled up next to them and stopped. Jade laughed as Tommy jumped out of the car shirtless, holding his heart he fell dramatically to the ground.

  Tessa stood looking at the ground, her phone vibrated and she grabbed it. She looked at her phone, a message,

  -You look hot Tessa…LL

  She rolled her eyes and ignored it and put the phone in her bag.

  “Is that how it’s going to be Tessa?” Luke asked leaning over towards the window flashing his perfect white half smile.

  “Oh I’m sorry was that from you?” Tessa asked sarcastically.

  “You are not used to this kind of attention are you?” he said trying to hide his smile, “You need to get used to it Tessa, I am going to be watching you.”

  “Sounds kind of stalker ish, LL” she said.

  “No Tessa, just someone who admires your assets,” Luke smiled and looked her up and down.

  “Wow does that normally work for
you?” she said to him and looked away annoyed. “Jade you ready?”

  Jade was kneeling down laughing at Tommy, he sat up and smiled, he had a kind smile. “Can we give you ladies a lift?” he asked.

  “Sure,” Jade said, “We were going to walk to Tessa’s house”

  “Thank you for accepting,” he said bowing down to her he pointed his hand to the back. She followed him and climbed in.

  “Looks like you’re up here with me,” Luke smiled at Tessa and leaned across and pushed the door opened. She got in and buckled her seat belt and crossed her arms over herself.

  Jade and Tommy were in the back of the car. Tessa looked back and saw them laughing as Tommy pointed to the clouds, through the side window resting his head on her shoulder.

  “That one looks like a monkey,” he said “Do you like animals?” he asked

  “Yes, I do, why?” Jade asked

  “Just wondering? I want to know everything about you, you are perfect on the outside, and funny, I just want to know you pretty girl, is that alright?” He asked.

  “I guess so,” she smiled, “Since you asked so nicely”

  “I told you Jade,” he continued, “I always will.”

  They drove down Main Street and Luke saw a blonde looking towards his car “Oh shit,” he said, “Don’t ask questions, bend down and hide.” Tessa did and waited there till he told her it was okay to sit up. “Sorry Tessa, crazy ex.”

  Tessa rolled her eyes “That will not happen again,” This is so uncomfortable, she thought.

  Jade and Tommy talked and laughed the rest of the way. She looked happy. Jade tapped on Luke’s shoulder “Could you pull up this road and let us off, I don’t want my aunt and uncle to get upset about us riding with you guys.”

  Luke pulled over and reached across the car and pushed the release on her seat belt, his hand stayed on her leg for a moment before she started to get out, “Tessa I think you’re hot, and you’d have to agree I am not bad on the eyes either, think about it. I would love to spend time with you Tessa Ross,” He squeezed her hand and she jumped out.

  “Thank you for the ride,” Tessa said, she shook her head and waited for Jade.